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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bark — to shout
  4. kid — child
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. sharp — clever
  7. kid — to tease
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rash — a series
  12. chip — for betting
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitch — completely
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com